Find money to help pay your way through Alma College! Complete your FastWeb profile to gain access to the largest database of scholarships, updated daily.

The College

Alma College highlights personalized education, social responsibility, and extraordinary achievement.

Alma students work closely with dedicated faculty members. The College has a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and an average class size of 19. Independent study and faculty-sponsored research projects abound, and virtually all students find faculty mentors who help them explore and discover, learn, and grow. In addition to twenty-seven majors, thirty-one minors, several preprofessional programs, and four undergraduate degrees, Alma offers students the ability to create their own personally constructed majors called Programs of Emphasis. Alma encourages students to think independently within the framework of a liberal arts education that can be applied to any task or any profession. Alma graduates enter the job market and graduate schools with a personalized education that serves them well as they continue to learn throughout their lifetime.

The Colleges one-month intensive spring term supports faculty members and students traveling together across the globe. Some examples include high-altitude physiology in the Rockies; economics, photography, or education in Argentina and Ecuador; Shakespeare or medieval literature in London; cross-border issues between Texas and Mexico; and a host of other innovative courses that cross geographic and disciplinary boundaries. During the regular terms, Alma students pursue applications of their liberal arts foundations through overseas study from India to Scotland to Spain; undertake practicum experiences in nearby jobs or programs in Philadelphia, Chicago, or New York; and embrace uncommonly rich courses that link service with learning. Alma students regularly discover skills, passions, and careers they had not previously imagined.

Every April, Alma College celebrates the extraordinary achievements of its students in a special Honors Day celebration of the liberal arts as students present their own research and study. Despite being a small college, over the past several years Alma has had an unusually large number of nationally competitive scholarships to celebrate. Over the last five years, in fact, Alma students have garnered twelve prestigious Fulbright scholarships for international study, five Udall scholarships for work in environmental issues, three Truman Scholarships for study leading toward a career in public service, and the highly esteemed British Marshall Scholarship for study at Cambridge University.

The Center for Responsible Leadership provides opportunities for all students to improve their leadership abilities through guest speakers, seminars, service trips, and other campus programming. In addition, the Center for Responsible Leadership Fellows Program offers in-depth training and development, including internships, community service opportunities, and international leadership experiences.

A Phi Beta Kappa institution, Alma is classified as a selective Baccalaureate Arts and Sciences college by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Alma was selected for inclusion in Colleges with a Conscience: 81 Great Schools with Outstanding Community Involvement, published by the Princeton Review and Campus Compact. Alma is one of only 100 colleges and universities to be named to the Templeton Honor Roll in the Templeton Guide: Colleges that Encourage Character Development.

With an enrollment of more than 1,350 students, the College employs a full-time teaching faculty of 81 members, of whom 88 percent hold the Ph.D. or other terminal degree. Entering first-year students have an average high school GPA of 3.49 and a mean ACT composite score of 23.88 (approximately equivalent to a combined SAT score of 1735). More than 61 percent of the freshmen students ranked in the top 25 percent of their high school classes, and 25 percent ranked in the top 10 percent.

Eighty-eight percent of Almas students live on campus; first-year students and upperclassmen live together in a complex of residence halls and academic theme houses, including the newest, environmentally friendly, apartment-style Wright Hall. Each residence unit is supervised by a full-time director who is assisted by student staff members.

Nourishment for the body and conversation for the soul can be found at Hamilton Dining Commons, Van Dusen Commons, and Joes Internet Caf. Downtown Alma, a short walk from campus, offers a diverse menu of meals and snacks.

Founded in 1886 by Michigan Presbyterians, Alma College still maintains a relationship with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), but offers an environment that welcomes students of all religious backgrounds. The Alma lifestyle combines academic challenges with favorite activities and opportunities to develop new interests. With nearly 100 student organizations to join, intercollegiate and intramural sports for the competitive spirit, performing and visual arts for creative outlets, and a vital Greek system for active social lives, Alma students have a dynamic cocurricular life. Nearly 40 percent of all Alma students participate in intercollegiate athletics. Alma competes at the NCAA Division III level in nine mens and nine womens sports. In addition, more than a third of all Alma students take part in at least one cultural performance each year. The Heritage Center is the regions premiere performing arts facility.

The Stone Center for Recreation features a climbing wall, a fitness center, four courts, and a suspended three-lane track. The outdoor athletic facilities include a football field with artificial turf, soccer and softball yards, tennis courts, and an eight-lane track. The Klenk Park baseball complex features a scoreboard honoring former Detroit Tiger and Alma Scot great Jim Northrup. The Hogan Center is home to mens and womens basketball and the Colleges swimming and diving teams.

Location

Easily reached from Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee, Alma College is located in the heart of Michigans lower peninsula. The city of Alma (population of about 10,000) is well-known as Scotland, USA, for its annual Highland Festival. Almas relaxed, safe, small-town atmosphere enables students to concentrate on educational priorities, while both the metropolitan and recreational areas of Michigan are readily accessible. Tri Cities and Lansing airports are nearby.

Majors and Degrees

Alma offers four degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Science. Departmental and interdepartmental majors are possible. Majors include art and design, athletic training, biochemistry, biology, business administration, chemistry, communication, computer science, economics, education, English, exercise and health science, French, German, history, international business, mathematical sciences, mathematics, music, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, religious studies, sociology and anthropology, Spanish, and theater and dance. Interdisciplinary majors may be designed in such fields as American studies, art history, cognitive science, electronics and computer engineering, environmental studies, foreign service, gerontology, new media studies, public health, and womens studies. Preprofessional programs prepare students for further study and careers in dentistry, engineering, graphic design, law, medical illustration, medicine, the ministry, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Academic minors are available in American studies, anthropology, art history, cognitive science, electronics and computer engineering, environmental studies, gerontology, new media studies, public health, and womens studies.

Alma College offers cooperative 3-2 and 4-2 pre-engineering programs with the University of Michigan School of Engineering and Michigan Technological University. A 3-2 program in occupational therapy is offered in conjunction with Washington University in St.Louis.

Academic Programs

The College operates on a 4-4-1 calendartwo 4-month terms in the fall and winter and one 1-month term in the spring. During the spring term, there are opportunities for international study as well as for on-campus instruction and research. In keeping with Almas philosophy of educating the whole person, the College requires that all students complete liberal arts courses spanning the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The B.A. and B.S. degree programs require the completion of 136 credits; the B.F.A. and B.M. degree programs, 148 credits.

Highly qualified students are challenged by Almas honors program, featuring a specially designed freshman course that explores the methods of communication used in the liberal arts disciplines. The honors concept extends throughout the four years at Alma.

Alma accepts credits earned through the Advanced Placement (AP) Program and the International Baccalaureate Diploma (I.B.) program, and examinations designed by Almas academic departments.

Off-Campus Programs

Numerous opportunities for international study are available through the College, including offerings in Australia, Austria, Bolivia, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, India, Italy, New Zealand, Peru, Scotland, South Korea, and Spain. A wide variety of options for housing, including placements in private homes, are featured. Almas Program of Studies in France, a cooperative venture with the prestigious Alliance Franaise in Paris, can accommodate any studentfrom beginner to advancedfor periods of time ranging from one month to one year. Students considering careers in international business may enroll in an international marketing or multinational business administration seminar held in Wollongong, Australia. Two spring term courses must be successfully completed, one of which must be a designated S course. These courses take advantage of the spring term format and cross-geographical, cultural, or disciplinary boundaries. Internships provide Alma students with experience related to their educational or career goals. On-the-job experience may be arranged in many fields through work in businesses, industries, and government and community agencies.

Academic Facilities

Twenty-six main buildings with up-to-date facilities and an outdoor sports complex are arranged around a scenic central mall on Almas 125-acre campus. It is a short walk to the fully automated library, which houses more than 273,800 volumes. The Dow and Kapp Science Centers provide research and instructional facilities for biology, biochemistry, chemistry, and physics. Swanson Academic Center houses classrooms and faculty offices. The Eddy Music Building, Clack Art Center, and Remick Heritage Center for the Performing Arts offer exhibition, performance, and rehearsal space for art and design, dance, music, and theater. The McIntyre Center for Exercise and Health Science has labs for cardiovascular physiology, human anatomy, and human performance testing.

Instruction at Alma is supported by computer technology. Students are encouraged to bring their own computers to the campus to best utilize available services. Access to the campus network, e-mail, the Internet, the library, and a variety of printers is available in all of Almas eight residence halls. Student computer labs in academic departments throughout the campus provide access to Macintosh and IBM-compatible PC systems as well as Sun SPARCstations and Silicon Graphics UNIX systems. Computer classrooms in the library and Swanson Academic Center are staffed by student assistants.

Costs

Tuition for 200809 is $24,630. Room and board costs for the fall and winter terms total $8120. Students who attend during the spring term pay a $333 tuition charge and a $559 board charge but no room charge. A student activity fee of $220 is charged each year, and a charge of $315 for the Preterm is added to freshman-year costs. Books, personal expenses (including travel, clothing, and entertainment), and supplies are estimated at $1400 per year.

Financial Aid

At Alma, students can achieve scholarship recognition regardless of need on the basis of outstanding scholastic achievement. Several academically competitive scholarship programs provide awards for eligible students, including a full-tuition scholarship for National Merit Finalists. The College also offers performance scholarships in recognition of individual talent, as well as grants, loans, and deferred-payment plans. Approximately 450 campus and community jobs are filled by Alma students yearly. To apply for aid, students are required only to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March15 of the year of prospective enrollment at Alma.

Faculty

A look at Almas faculty shows a diversity of backgrounds; 88 percent of the 81 full-time faculty members hold the highest degree in their field. Superior undergraduate teaching is the first priority of Almas faculty members; no graduate students teach classes, nor are there television lecture courses at Alma. Classes at Alma are small; the faculty-student ratio is 1:13. Faculty members are accessible and willing to assist students. They are also recognized as scholars in their fields; their research has been supported by such organizations as the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars (Fulbright scholarships), the Michigan Council for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Science Foundation.

Student Government

Alma encourages students to build leadership skills through involvement in student government and campus organizations. Members of the Alma College Student Congress represent all major student organizations as well as individual students. This group works as a liaison with the administration to implement or revise campus policies, develop a budget and coordinate the expenditure of student activity fees, manage the campus radio station and student publications, and resolve problems. Almas Union Board, composed of students representing each residence hall, oversees most of the regular entertainment scheduled on campus. As a residential campus, Alma is governed by rules prohibiting academic dishonesty, gambling, cohabitation, infringements on others rights, illegal use of alcoholic beverages and drugs, and damage to personal property.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission, applicants should have an average of B or higher in high school and a composite score of 22 or higher on the ACT or a combined score of 1030 or higher on the SAT. All applicants are encouraged to schedule an admission interview on campus. Transfer students must have earned an average of C or higher at their previous institution. No more than 62 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of course work completed with a grade of C or better may be transferred to Alma. International students are asked to submit records of previous schooling and must show competence in English through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Create your FastWeb profile today to learn more about Alma College.

Complete your FastWeb profile for access to tons of great tools that will help you get into and pay for [School_Name], including:

• College admissions advice from REAL admissions officers
• Expert scholarship advice
• Get matched to scholarships you qualify for
• College survival tips from other students like you
• Plus much more!

Check out FastWeb today!